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NEW DELHI: Those who have followed Virat Kohli's career from his early days know that he has put in a lot of effort behind the scenes to turn himself into the fittest cricketer in world cricket. His hard-work, determination, sacrifices, discipline and fitness have made him an inspiration for countless budding cricketers across the world. From a chubby cricketer who loved biryani, to the lean run machine that he is now, Virat's cricketing and fitness journey has been a fascinating one. Munish Bali, who was the assistant coach of the victorious Indian U-19 cricket team of 2008, which won the U-19 World Cup, under Kohli's captaincy, spoke to Timesofindia.com about the Indian captain's transformation from an exceptionally talented 19-year-old kid to a cricketer who many feel is already a legend. Munish Bali. "There's a huge difference from 2008 to now. The transformation in terms of fitness is huge. I knew Virat will represent the Indian senior team someday. The way he took fitness to … [Read more...] about Virat Kohli can break Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI centuries record: 2008 Indian U-19 World Cup assistant coach Munish Bali

BRITAIN is set to roast in the hottest summer for 12 years with temperatures hitting a sizzling 33C. Now could be the time to dust off the BBQ as the country looks to swelter in the heat between late June and August. The Met Office has said much hotter than normal temperatures over the summer months is eight times more likely than much cooler-than-usual conditions. Sun worshippers are likely to get a taste of things to come in the early part of next week with sub-tropical air from the Azores warming things up with highs of 23C and bright sunshine in the south. Later in the week though showers are expected in the north-west with a "European monsoon" expected. The Weather Company predicted temperatures would soar to 33C from late June, making the summer the hottest since 2006. Met Office records show Britain’s average summer temperature is 14.3C. There is double the usual probability of this summer having a higher temperature than 2013’s 15.17C - which would make 2018 the … [Read more...] about UK set for hottest summer for 12 years with 33C World Cup scorcher this month until August, say forecasters

MOSCOW — The 2018 World Cup has cost Russia billions of dollars to stage and will make FIFA hundreds of millions in profit. Still, the big numbers that are routine for major sports events are unlikely to set World Cup records. Russia's official budget of 678 billion rubles ($11.6 billion) spent on projects for the tournament is less than the estimated $15 billion spent by Brazil on the 2014 World Cup. The budget to meet President Vladimir Putin's pledge to showcase a warmer, more open Russia excludes some transport projects the tournament relies on. It also looks a bargain compared to the $51 billion bill for the 2014 Winter Olympics that extended from Sochi into nearby mountains. FIFA will top $6 billion for the four-year commercial cycle tied to this World Cup, beating its $5.656 billion target. The marquee tournament is overwhelmingly the main source of FIFA income. That target, however, was conservative compared to $5.72 billion of overall income booked by FIFA in the … [Read more...] about World Cup spending, profits set to fall short of record sums

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Melbourne City teenager Daniel Arzani has shown a knack for dancing past defenders in the Australian top flight but his most telling off-field evasion might be sidestepping the country of his birth for the lure of a World Cup ticket with the Socceroos. The Iran-born 19-year-old spent his early childhood playing in the streets of Khorramabad and remains eligible for the Middle Eastern heavyweights, who have also qualified for the Russia finals. But Arzani has represented Australia at junior levels since migrating Down Under with his family and the winger all but pledged allegiance to his adopted nation in February. His loyalty may be set for the ultimate reward, a berth in Australia’s World Cup squad, if he impresses during a three-week training camp in Turkey. “It’d be a dream come true,” said uncapped Arzani, one of the biggest surprises in Dutchman Bert van Marwijk’s preliminary squad. “Since I was young, … [Read more...] about Arzani dreaming of World Cup berth after Socceroos swerve

Had the United States qualified for the World Cup, as it had done every four years since 1990, the roster announced Sunday for an upcoming friendly would have been packed with internationally seasoned players preparing for soccer's ultimate test next month in Russia.But because of last fall's failure, the Americans are turning attention to the long term instead of the short term, passing on veterans and introducing a new batch.Along those lines, interim coach Dave Sarachan named a 22-man roster with an average age of just under 23 for the May 28 match against Bolivia at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa."As I've talked about throughout this process, the theme is to offer opportunity to this younger generation of talented players that have potential down the road with the program," Sarachan said in a written statement. "We've had first-time call-ups in every camp since November, and this is another extension of that."The group includes Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, who play … [Read more...] about Without World Cup, U.S. men’s national team goes young for friendly vs. Bolivia